Propulsion means for a platform parking system



Jan. 17, 1967 LA. PLYMOTH 3,298,542

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United States Patent 3,298,542 PROPULSION MEANS FOR A PLATFORM PARKING SYSTEM Inge Alexander Plymoth, Caritasgatan 25, Malmo SV, Sweden Filed Feb. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 431,298 8 Claims. (Cl. 214-16.1)

or rows such movable parking platforms are provided in the aisle in order to more effectively utilize the floor space without interfering with the accessibility of said parking spaces. The parking platforms occupy only part of the width and length of said aisle leaving sufiicient space for driving vehicles along the aisle, and may be moved on the track along the aisle to provide the additional space on the floor necessary to turn a vehicle when driving it to and from a particular space in the rowor rows from or to said aisle.

One object of the present invention is to provide a system facilitating the installation of the platforms and the driving means therefor in a garage of the type described above.

Another object is to provide :a garaging system in which the parking platforms and the driving means therefor may readily be serviced if necessary thus reducing the maintenance cost.

According to the invention these and otherobjects are achieved in a garage including a floor structure and at least two parallel rails supported by said floor'structur'e and forming a track thereon by the combination comprising at least one parking platform having wheels supporting said platform on said rails and cooperating with the rails to guide the platform for movement along the rails, said platform being of a size large enough for parking at least one vehicle thereon, a housing let into said floor structure and defining a space open at top, a cover mounted on said housing and closing said space at the top thereof, said cover having the upper surface thereof substantially flush with the surface of said floor structure, an electric geared reversible motor unit mount- .ed on the lower surface of said cover to be supported thereby in the space defined by said housing and having an output shaft projecting upwardly from said cover on the upper side thereof, a pinion on said shaft, a

detailed description which follows in conjunction with the .attached drawings in which:

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FIG. 1 is a plan view of part of a garage provided with parking platforms movable on a track on the garage floor; 1

FIG. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of a platform taken along line II--II in FIG. 1 and seen in the direction'of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the cover closing the top of the housing for the electric geared drive unit;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the cover and the electric drive unit supported by said cover on the lower surface thereof;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the housing and the cover together with the drive unit supported thereby, taken along line VV in FIG. 3, the rails joining the ends of the rail supported by said cover being shown in side elevational view;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line VIVI in FIG. 4 and showing the details of a limit switch means forming part of said electric drive unit;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a platform bumper taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the components shown in FIG. I seen from the lower side of the platform.

Referring now to FIG. 1 in the drawings there is shown part of the floor structure 10 of a garage having a row of parking spaces 11 on the floor arranged transversely to an aisle 12 on said floor extending along the row of parking spaces. The aisle must have a width D to provide the space necessary for a vehicle to make a turn when the vehicle is driven from and to one of the parking spaces 11' to or from aisle 12. However, a substantially smaller width d is necessary for driving a vehicle along aisle 12; In order to more effectively utilize the floor space of the garage there is provided a row of parking platforms two of which are shown at 13a and 13b along the row of parking spaces 11, said row of platforms beingwheeled to be movable along a track comprising three rails 14 supportedby floor structure 10 and extending parallel with each other and with the row of parking spaces 11. Any number of platforms may be provided A still further object is to provide a parking platform which is easy to modify.

but the total-length of the platforms should always be less than the total length of the row of parking spaces 11 so that there may be provided a gap in the row of platforms between two adjacent platforms or at the end of said row of platforms in order to provide the space necessary to drive a vehicle onto and from one of the parking spaces 11. Each platform may be arranged to provide space for parking two' vehicles as platform 13a, or three vehicles as platform 13b but also platforms for one vehicle only or for four or even more vehicles may be provided in order to take into account the particular form of the garage and the space available therein. On the upper surface of each platform there may be'provided a trough 15 receiving a pair of road wheels of the vehicle parked on the platform usually the back pair of road wheels as the parking brake of the vehicle usually actuates the back pair of road wheels.

Referring now to FIG. 2 each parking platform comprises a channel beam 16 which opens downwardly. On one flange of said beam there is rotatably mounted two or more grooved wheels 17 running on the central rail 14 and cooperating therewith to guide the platform along the track formed by rails 14. For a parking platform having space for the parking of two vehicles side by side said channel beam 15 is placed centrally of the platform but if the platform is arranged for the parking of a single vehicle or a single row of vehicles said channel is disposing along one edge of the platform. The supporting surface of the parking platform is formed by a metal sheet panel comprisingtwo sections 18a and'18b joining each other along the web of beam 16 and being bolted to arranged for parking vehicles side byside or forparking a single vehicle or a single-row of vehicles one of said sections, section 1811 in FIG. 2, extends transversely from beam 16 at one side thereof and has at its opposite longitudinal edge a depending flange 19 rotatably mounting a number of wheels 20 running on one of the outer rails 14'. The metal sheet panel may be stiffened or braced at the lower side thereof in accordance with conventional principles to have the rigidity necessary to support a vehicle on the upper side of said platform. When. a platform for side-by-side parking of vehicles is concerned there is arranged a further section 1811 identical with section 18a just described but extending oppositely to section 18a from the opposite side of beam 16 as shown in FIG. 2. Each section forms along each of the endedges and along the side edge a sloping edge portion facilitating the driving of vehicles onto the platform. If the platform is arranged for parking at single vehicle or a single row of vvehicles there is provided a section 18b forming only said sloping edge portion on said opposite side of beam'16 as is shown in FIG. 2 disclosing platform 13b, FIG. 1, which is of a combined type having space for a singlevehicle and a couple of vehicles placed side by side on the same platform.

The platform are electrically driven to facilitate the operation of such platforms, and referring now also to FIGS. 3, 4 and S the driving mechanism shall be described.

Let into the floor structure there is arranged a rectangular i housing 21 projecting outwardly therefrom. Each of said channels receives the adjacent end portion of one of the rail sections 14a and 14b. Secured as by screws 22 to housing 21 there is provided a cover 25 which is flush with rim 22 and thus with the floor surface and has on its upper surface a rail section 14c secured to the cover and adjoining the connecting ends of rail sections 14a and 14b. A gasket 26 is located in a groove 27 formed by the side wall of housing 21 and rim 22 and seals the joint between the housing and the cover against entrance of water, dust or other foreign material that could interfere with the operation of components disposed in said housing as will be further described below,

As shown in FIG. 4 cover 25 is used as a supporting member foran electric motor 28 mounted at the lower side of said cover and depending therefrom and for a gearbox 29 also mounted at the lowerside of said cover and depending therefrom, the gearbox having the input shaft 30 thereof connected to the motor shaft 31 to form together with the motor an electric geared drive unit. The output shaft 32 of the gearbox 29 extends upwardly through cover 25 to have its free end projecting from the cover on the upper side thereof, a packing box 33and an O-ring 34 surrounding said shaft in the 'cover to seal between shaft and cover.'- On the projecting-end of output shaft 32 there is mounted a pinion 35 to be rotated by the shaft.

Referring now to FIGS. 2, 7 and 8 thereis shown a rack 36 mounted on the innersurface of the other flange of channel beam 16 to engage said pinion -35 -which is thus received in the channel of beam 16. Rack 36 ex tends throughout the length of said beam. Theengagemerit between pinion- 35 and rack 36 is guaranteed by grooved wheels '17 atnd central rails 14 cooperating to guide the platform for movement along the rails, said rack thereby being linearly guided along said rails., Thus, when being rotationally driven'bysaid drive unit 28, 29

engagement surface 52a.

pinion 35 displaces rack 36 longitudinally and thereby -'the-platformalongrails'14-.

Additional guiding of the platform is achieved by pairs of rollers 37 mounted each pair on one of two blocks 38 secured to the ends of beam 16, for rotation about vertical axis, said rollers being disposed to engage opposite side surfaces of the central rail passing centrally between the rollers thus preventing transverse movement of the platform in relation to said rail.

In order to limit the movement of the platform to a distance corresponding to the length of the rack there is provided not only electrical stop means but also mechanical stop means. 'The electrical stop means comprises a limit switching means 39 mounted at the lower surface of cover 25 the details of said means being disclosed in FIG. 6. Means 39 comprises a housing 40 rotatably mounting a spindle 41, the upper end of the spindle projecting from said housing at the upper end thereof and being provided with a sprocket 42 operatively connected to output shaft 32 by a chain 43 and a further sprocket 44 mounted on said output shaft. Spindle 41 has a threaded portion 45 between its ends, a hut. being provided on said threaded portion. A projection 47 on said nut 46 is guided for linear movement axially of the spindle by a stationary guide 48 fixed to the housing, the nut thereby being prevented to rotate together with the spindle though being axially displaceable. At each end of the guide 48 there is provided a normally closed limit switch 49 and 50, respectively, which is included in the electrical circuit for motor 28. The gear ratio of the chain and sprocket transmission and the pitch of the spindle thread are so dimensioned and the position of the nut on the spindle in relation to the position of the platform is initially so adjusted that projection 47 engages one of the limit switches when the pinion is at each end ,of the rack, said switches being connected to the motor circuit to break, when actuated by projection 47, directly or indirectly (over relays) the energizing circuit for the motor to rotate further in the direction corresponding to the prevailing. direction of movement of the platform butdoes not affect the energizing circuit for the opposite direction of rotation. The circuits controlling motor 28 in dependence on the limit switches 49 and 50 and further switches provided for the manual control of said motor are not shown in detail as the construction thereof seems to be obvious to one skilled in the electric art. For example, there may be provided a contactor for each rotational direction of the motor and a manually operable push button switch for closing said contactor. However, the push button switch circuit for each contactor includes one of the normally closed limit switches 49, 50 which opens the contactor when actuated by projection 47. Lead through openings 51 are provided in the side wall of housing 21 for the necessary electrical wiring including motor 28 and switching means 39 in said circuits. I

The mechanical stop means provided to prevent the platform to be manually pushed out of engagement with pinion 35 comprises blocks 38 at each end of beam 16 and blocks 52 mounted on cover 25 spaced longitudinally of rail section on opposite sides of pinion 35. At the end positions for the platform, blocks 38 engage blocks 52 thus mechanically preventing further movement of the platform. In order to avoid that the platform is lifted over blocks 52 bycam action between the engaging surfaces of blocks 38 and 52 said latter blocks have an undercut engagement surface 52a, the engagement surface on each ofblocks 38 being parallel to the associated Thus, engagement between said blocks will provide a downwardly directed force urg- ,ingth e platform against the floor.

Beam 16 isextended longitudinally beyond the platformat each'end thereof thereby'forming two oppositely projecting-bumpers'53, each of said bumpers preferably being provided with a metal sheeting forming angled edge surfaces on the bumpers. These bumpers prevent adjacent ends of two platforms to engage each other involving the risk for persons to be injuriously clamped between the platforms, as such engagement occurs at the bumpers leaving a space between two adjacent platforms over the major part of the width thereof.

As shown in FIG. 1 each platform 13a, 13b has its own driving unit indicated at 21a and 21b, respectively. Thus, it will be seen that the two platforms may be moved simultaneously as a unit in order to provide a gap in relation to adjacent other platforms (not shown) or individually to provide a gap between platforms 13a, 1312.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes can be made in the construction and arrange ment of parts Without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that all such changes and modifications be embraced within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a garage including a floor structure and at least two parallel rails supported by said floor structure and forming a track thereon, the combination comprising at least one parking platform having Wheels supporting said platform on said rails and cooperating with the rails to guide the platform for movement along the rails, said platform being of a size large enough for parking at least one vehicle thereon, a housing let into said floor structure and defining a space open at top, a cover mounted on said housing and closing said space at the top thereof, said cover having the upper surface thereof substantially flush with the surface of said floor structure, an electric geared reversible motor unit mounted on the lower surface of said cover to be supported thereby in the space defined by said housing and having an output shaft projecting upwardly from said cover on the upper side thereof, a pinion on said shaft, a rack mounted to said platform at the lower side thereof in parallel with said rails and engaging said pinion, and a rail section mounted on the upper surface of said cover, at each end registering with longitudinally spaced sections of one of said rails and having the upper surface flush with and joining the upper surface of said latter rail sections to form part of said track.

2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 further comprising locating means on said housing on opposite outer walls thereof, each of said locating means receiving an end portion of one of said longitudinally spaced sections of said one rail, said rail mounted on said cover having the ends thereof opposite said logating means.

3. The combination as claimed in claim 1 in which said platform comprises a channel beam having the channel open downwardly one flange of said beam mounting said rack on the inner side of the flange, the other flange of said beam rotatably mounting some of said wheels on said platform.

4. The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which said platform comprises a metal sheet panel forming a vehicle supporting surface of said platform and being connected to the web of said beam on the upper side thereof said panel having sections extending outwardly from said beam on opposite sides thereof and joining each other along the web of said beam.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 in which said panel over at least part of the length of said beam at one side thereof is angled downwardly against said floor structure to form a bevelled edge on said platform facilitating the driving of vehicles onto the platform.

6. The combination as claimed in claim 3 in which said beam projects from said platform longitudinally of said track at opposite ends of said platform to form bumpers on said platform.

7. The combination as claimed in claim 1 comprising stop elements mounted on said cover on opposite sides of said pinion and being spaced in the longitudinal direction of said track and stop elements on the lower surface of said platform spaced longitudinally of said track on opposite sides of said first mentioned stop elements each to engage one of said stop elements on said cover to define in cooperation therewith opposite end positions for the movement of said platform along said track.

8. The combination as claimed in claim 1 comprising switching means electrically connected to said motor unit to control the supply of power thereto and mechanically connected to said output shaft to be operated thereby, said switching means being arranged to break the supply of power to said motor unit when it is driving said platform in one and the other direction, respectively, at opposite end positions for the movement of said platform along said track.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 848,942 9/1960 Great Britain. 1,113,553 12/1955 France.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner,

R. B. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner, 

1. IN A GARAGE INCLUDING A FLOOR STRUCTURE AND AT LEAST TWO PARALLEL RAILS SUPPORTED BY SAID FLOOR STRUCTURE AND FORMING A TRACK THEREON, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE PARKING PLATFORM HAVING WHEELS SUPPORTING SAID PLATFORM ON SAID RAILS AND COOPERATING WITH THE RAILS TO GUIDE THE PLATFORM FOR MOVEMENT ALONG THE RAILS, SAID PLATFORM BEING OF A SIZE LARGE ENOUGH FOR PARKING AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE THEREON, A HOUSING LET INTO SAID FLOOR STRUCTURE AND DEFINING A SPACE OPEN AT TOP, A COVER MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING AND CLOSING SAID SPACE AT THE TOP THEREOF, SAID COVER HAVING THE UPPER SURFACE THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY FLUSH WITH THE SURFACE OF SAID FLOOR STRUCTURE, AN ELECTRIC GEARED REVERSIBLE MOTOR UNIT MOUNTED ON THE LOWER SURFACE OF SAID COVER TO BE SUPPORTED THEREBY IN THE SPACE 